Primed for Competition
by heart2handgun
Summary: Follow Lauryn through the class period where she hears that her Marching Band will not be competiting next year. ONESHOT


Pairings: uhhh... none are imposrtant  
Author's Note: I told DutchessCourtney I would post a oneshot about how my HS marching band can't compete next year :( Me in this story is Lauryn  
Disclaimer: I own everyone in this story.. JK They're all my friends, so, actually I sorta do :D

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ONE SHOT

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"Laur, you will never believe what Mr. Novack just decided." Lauryn, a young girl, about 15-16 with reddish brown hair, looks over at Vanessa, a girl of the same age with medium length dark brown hair.

Lauryn tucks her bangs back behind her ear with one hand, as she holds her books from MCAS English and MCAS math. "What now?"

"Competition season for next year is called off."

"That's bullshit. He can't do that to us."

"He can and he just did." The two girls turn around and see Emily, a junior, who was destined to be Band President next year walking towards them. "Laur, I'm going to your band class next period just to make sure I get my point across to Novack. It's completely unfair what he's doing to us."

Lauryn puts her books on her other arm as the three girls start to walk down G Hall on their way to B Hall, where Vanessa and Lauryn have their lockers. "That is so unfair. He's probably doing it based on this year's turnout, but that isn't our fault. We can't control the weather."

Emily and Vanessa nod their heads in agreement to Lauryn's comment. Emily hands Lauryn her copy of their Band Newsletter, as Laur reads it in shock. "He's trying to soften it up as much as he can, but for sure it isn't working. Saying we had one of the best years as a band in his 29 years of directing this band, is just hurting us even more."

"I know, we were so close to Gold at MICCA Finals. If we got to actually compete instead of doing the third freaken standstill this year."

"You're fucken kidding me, right?" Emily and Vanessa look over at Lauryn who is reading the notice over one more time. "The BHS Marching Panther Band is one of the most well-known bands in our association, M.I.C.C.A. (massachusetts instrumental chorale competition ? assosiation), but there is always time for a year off here and there. This just so happens to be the second year I've ever taken off in my 29 years of this job." Vanessa stops at her locker as Emily and Lauryn continue to Laur's locker, about 30 down from Nessa's.

Lauryn opens her locker as Emily leans against Andy, Lauryn's ex-boyfriend and locker neighbor's locker, as Lauryn throws her books into her messanger bag. "This sucks so much, You're class has a chance of marching senior year, mine doesn't. I was supposed to be destined for B.P. this year, and I don't wanna be the president of a non-competing band."

"How many of us have told Novy (our nickname for our BD) that we don't wanna be like Danvers. All they do is football games and parades. We do football games, parades AND competitions. Yeah, we still compete on the trip, but I wanna be in Melrose, and Methuen, and Framingham between September and November. This sucks."

"Thing that sucks the most is we don't get those wicked fun bus rides anymore." Lauryn tosses her bag onto the floor, grabs her drumline sweatshirt, and slips it on, before picking up the bookbag and tossing it over her shoulder. The two girls walk down the hall towards Vanessa, who they meet up with at the double doors, leading to the stairs.

They walk downstairs in almost complete silence, except for the yelling, slamming of lockers, and footsteps on the cold cement floors around them. They walk through the stairs leading from Lower B to Lower G and then down that hallway. They take the stairs by the library, and head down the W Hall (window hall), past the cafeteria, past the chorus room, and down the hall into the band room. Lauryn hands Emily back her newsletter she got 2 periods ago, and grabs her own as the three girls walk into the band room.

Lauryn and Vanessa toss their backpacks down in the hallway leading back into the practice rooms, the room where Laur's second favorite instrument, the piano, sits, as she shakes her head and walks to the opposite side of the room, to the corner, where H Block drumline sits. She takes a seat in between to Nicki C and Matt M. She pulls her legs up underneath her, as she pulls her hair back into a messy bun. "You okay?"

She looks over at Matt, who has a comforting look on his face. "I will be. This sucks."

"I know what ya mean. Next year I wanted to see you guys compete at MICCA Finals since I'm going to Amhearst." He wraps his arms around the petite brunette's shoulders as she rests her head on her best guy friend's shoulder. "I was looking forward to seeing my three drumline girls out marching the first two basses, and the quints next year."

"Well, you have to go to a football to see us, as well as watch our team lose yet another game."

"If that's what it takes to watch you guys perform, so be it. Gendall and I will be right on the 50 at half time, and right next to you guys in the stands, when we watch the Beverly High Panthers suck even more than the last game."

Lauryn lets out a slight laugh as does Matt, as Mr. Novack takes his seat in front of the band, in front of the TV where they watched their flaws during a rainy competition in Wakefield only a few weeks ago, BHS's first ever stand-still competition in Melrose, and then the next week, in Methuen after a bus accident on the way, and then a first ever Stand-Still at MICCA Finals.

"By now, I bet all of you have read the newsletter, and I just want to say I'm sorry. We did amazing this year, I admit, we would have gotten gold at Finals if we marched. With all of the effort all of you put into this band this year, I was completely surprised. Melrose, we had a stand still, but the next Tuesday, Drumline and Colorguard were out in the parking lot, in the rain, working their asses off. And the next Thursday, we had almost the entire band out there working so hard for 3 hours, only to have the next competition be a stand still as well."

Lauryn sucks her lower lip in as Matt rubs her shoulder. Nicki pulls her legs up just like Lauryn, but rests her elbows on her knees and leans forward. "And then after we had almost everything perfect, we went to Wakefield, to horrible weather conditions. We still performed and did amazing. We took home 1st place out of 4 bands in our division that night. I was so proud of all of you that night, as was I at all of the other competitions this season.

"That's why this is so hard for me to do. I've been doing this for 29 years, so it gets hard to go out for a month over the summer, watch this band pull it together as much as you all did, and do this. But instead of competiting we're gunna do the UMass Fun Day, which is we drive out to UMass Amhearst, practice with them for a day, and then get on the field with their band, as well as many other bands from around Massachusetts and perform at halftime at their football game."

"But still-- You're taking away the one thing we all work so hard for." Lauryn's attention is drawn to Emily who's standing up, facing Mr. Novack, as tears threaten her eyes. "This band revolves around competitions. If you take them away, what do we have to look forward to? Stupid football games, where no one watches us, and we get played over while we're in the stands?"

"Emily, I understand you're mad, but believe me, next year will be fun."

"That's not the point. We need to compete to be the Beverly High School Marching Panther Band. Without competitions, what are we? Danvers High?"

"This coming year will be the best year we've had for a while because you won't be pushed as hard to perfect the show, and we'll change up the songs. I understand you're all dissapointed about this, as am I, because we need to prove that we're a gold medal band, but we need a re-grouping year. This year took alot out of us, and we need to be back and better than ever in 2 years."

Mr. Novack got up from his seat and walked back into the band and chorus office, to leave everyone else to their own thoughts. "You'll do great next year, Laur, and you'll definately be on snare. Maybe your senior year, you can take my place as Section Leader."

"Who in their right mind would put me on snare? Some little bass girl who doesn't have the chops to make snare. Even Frank (the pit instructor -- we call him Turtle) wouldn't let me on snare."

"Who says you don't have the chops. Ya know what, we're gunna make a little bet, saying that you will be on snare next year." Lauryn goes to say something as Matt smiles and puts his hand up. "And to make things more interesting, I'm saying you'll be 3rd snare."

"Ya know what, normally I don't like taking people's money, but since you just wanna throw this in my face, Guinness, it's on." The two smile and shake hands, before writing out how much the bet will be, and when pay up is.

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**Fin.**

All true. Not making up any of it, except for my name. Since I hate my name and all, I used my friends, Lauryn. I own all of these people, ha. They'd all like beat on me lol. So scratch that. Look out for another story from the mind of _Heart2Handgun_ aka _Alyse _soon XD


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